Construction Award – Winner: The EY Centre, Sydney

A Creative Use of Closed-Cavity Façades Opens Up New Possibilities

The EY Centre’s defining feature is its pioneering golden façade, achieved through the world’s first use of a closed-cavity façade (CCF) system on a high-rise commercial tower. The glass cavity of warmly-hued timber blinds gives the tower its golden glow, responding to light conditions to reduce glare and thermal loads and providing a heightened sense of well-being for tenants.

Used before in a handful of low-rise buildings in Europe and Asia, the CCF had never been used in Australia or the Southern Hemisphere, or in a high-rise building anywhere in the world, and none had featured timber blinds within the cavity. The operation of the CCF is automated through a building management system, enabling an energy savings of 30 to 40 percent compared to a typical facade.

Innovation in digital technology informed design decisions and methods of construction throughout. The triangulated timber soffit and awning were developed using advanced technological workflows and software tools that engaged with the fabrication and assembly process. A fully parametric, three-dimensional digital model was used to define the correct geometry, location and material of each component. More than 10,000 panels and components were used for the lobby.